Through The Years (Mike Wheeler x reader)

Thirty-two

~ (y/n)'s P.O.V. ~

Even when we were sure we had biked far enough from the lab people, we continued on until we got to the same junk yard where we had all fought yesterday. Now, as I stared around at the different objects in the yard, at where Lucas had hit me in the face and where El had shoved him back with her powers, that all felt like years ago. 

"Holy... holy shit!" Dustin cried out as we stopped our bikes in the middle of the yard. Dustin briefly took a look back at El as she got off the bike. Her nose was dripping blood, but she didn't look in too bad of a shape other than that. "Did... did you see what she did to that van?" Dustin continued as I got off of Mike's bike and Mike followed after me as I helped El sit down. Even though she wasn't in the worst shape, that didn't mean she wasn't tired. Mike briefly helped me with El before turning to Dustin. I stayed crouching down beside her. 

"No Dustin, we missed it." Dustin ignored Mike's comment and my laugh. He continued on in his awed rant. 

"I mean that was..."

"Amazing." I looked up in surprise. El slowly turned to look behind her at Lucas. "It was awesome." Lucas walked towards me and El with no hesitation. He got onto his knees beside us and looked at both of us apologetically. "Everything I said about you guys being traitors and stuff... I was wrong. I'm sorry." He mostly looked at El for this, but he glanced at me as a way to tell me I was next, then he placed a hand on El's shoulder. 

"Friends... friends don't lie. I'm sorry, too." Lucas smiled lightly and then looked to me. He stuck out his hand. 

"You were right to trust El. I shouldn't have doubted your judgement. I was just angry and scared. I'm so so sorry, (y/n). I drew first blood with you and I shouldn't have. You just wanted to help." He held his hand higher, but I pushed it away, hugging him instead.

"I'm sorry, too." Mike spoke up after I let Lucas out of my hug. Lucas turned to him and I saw Mike was holding his hand out. Lucas had a small smile on his face, and then he slapped his hand into Mike's.

~

We all sat in a circle as Lucas drew out the roads and area around Hawkins Lab. "This is Randolph Road, right here." He drew out a line along one of the sticks. "The fence starts here and goes all the way around. And this is the lab right here." He placed an empty can in the middle. "The gate's gotta be in there somewhere. It's gotta be." Lucas seemed insistent in this fact, even a little scared, but more hopeful than anything else. 

"Well, who owns Hawkins Lab?" Dustin questioned. 

"The sign says 'Department of Energy.'" Lucas shrugged. 

"Department of Energy? What do you think that means?" Dustin sat back in thought. 

"It means the government, military. Mike's dad talks about that stuff all the time." I told him, looking up from drawing in the sand. 

"Why does it say, 'energy,' then?" Dustin asked, still seeming confused.

"Trust her, she's right. He's told us about it before." Mike told him, looking back to Lucas. He was the only one of us, besides El, who had been near the lab. Lucas nodded back at him. 

"(y/n) and Mike are right. There are soldiers out front. Lots of them."

"Do they make, like, lightbulbs or something?" Dustin asked. I sighed. 

"No, Dustin. Stuff like weapons... to fight the Russians and commies and stuff." Mike answered before I could. 

"Weapons." Lucas was looking down at the ground in some sort of realization, then he looked to El. We all caught his look. Dustin gasped.